Iona Rozeal Brown

Born in 1966, Washington, DC. Lives and works in New York, NY. Iona Rozeal Brown's most recent paintings are an unprecedented mixture of anonymous courtesans, geisha and other Japanese subjects. She explores the theme of Afro-Asiatic allegory, addressing the global influence of african american culture as fetish. Brown's work signals the energy, critical direction and complexity of contemporary practice that is engaged in a tenuous marriage of commerce and resistance. In her paintings, Brown intertextually juxtaposes color and texture, a technique that parallels her artistry as a DJ. Both practices emerge from a process of self-sampling and remixing, devices employed by media to create its own endless permutations or representations and meanings. Throughout her work, Brown brings a subversive reading to her art, and manipulates hyper self-conscious imagery to articulate contemporary concerns regarding race, gender and class.

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She has finally come, born across centuries and oceans and the yawning gaps of the pied world hewn for us and by us from the flesh and bone of the Earth, across the ragged expanse—flesh hanging like foliage...

NAP is still soaking up the sun at Art Week Miami. First, we took a trip to see the 20 NAP Alumni taking over UNTITLED Miami, now we roll on over to NADA Miami and share 17 NAP Alumni and stand-out stars. ...